TEAM NEWS:CAPTAIN GRAHAM Canty returns to lead All-Ireland champions Cork in their first championship match of the season at home to Clare next Sunday. Canty missed the whole league season with a hamstring injury but has played for his club Bantry Blues as well as in a challenge match for the county and gets the nod from manager Conor Counihan.
He is named at left wing back in a very strong team, which features just three changes from the side that lined out in last September’s All-Ireland final win over Down.
Defenders Eoin Cadogan, Paudie Kissane and John Miskella all started then but are replaced by Jamie O’Sullivan, who deputised successfully for the suspended Cadogan in last month’s league final defeat of Dublin, Canty, who wasn’t fit to start last autumn, and the only championship debutant Denis O’Sullivan, who had an excellent league culminating in an impressive display off the bench in the final.
Derry manager John Brennan hands Ulster championship debuts to five players, Danny Devlin, Michael Friel, Cailean OBoyle, Emmett McGuckin, and Charlie Kielt. The last two named did play in last year’s qualifiers. Goalkeeper Michael Conlon is injured and Devlin takes his place with the experienced Barry Gillis recalled to the panel as back-up.
Mick O’Dwyer gives a Leinster championship debut to former Mayo forward Austin O’Malley, who transferred to Wicklow this season. Bad news for the county is that John Flynn, who had been expected to line out in goal, has pulled a thigh muscle and is unavailable. The experienced Mervyn Travers takes his place.
Jacko Dalton is also ruled out after suffering a double hamstring pull and is considered unlikely to make an appearance of the bench. Both of the dual players Leighton Glynn and Stephen Kelly are named and it is expected that one or both will play for the hurlers in tomorrow’s Christy Ring Cup semi-final, also against Kildare.
Longford make just one change from the side that won the Division Four title. Kevin Diffley starts at centre back in place of Diarmuid Masterson, who returned from the US earlier in the season but has pulled a hamstring. Diffley, centrefielder Michael Brady and corner forward Donal McElligott are the three debutants on the team to face Laois in Portlaoise on Sunday.
Tipperary name two championship debutants in the half-back line to take on Kerry in Killarney. Cathal Dillon is at right wing back and Lorcan Egan starts at centre back. Manager John Evans has had to go without forward Peter Acheson, who is injured but he names Barry Grogan although the latter is carrying a knock.
Team Selections
CORK (SFC v Clare):A Quirke; R Carey, M Shields, J O'Sullivan; D O'Sullivan, N O'Leary, G Canty; A O'Connor, A Walsh; P Kerrigan, P Kelly, P O'Neill; D Goulding, D O'Connor, C Sheehan.
DERRY (SFC v Fermanagh):D Devlin; M Bateson, K McCloy, D McBride; G O'Kane, C Kielt, B McGoldrick; J Diver, M Friel; M Lynch, C O'Boyle, E McGuckian; SL McGoldrick, E Bradley, C Gilligan.
WICKLOW (SFC v Kildare):M Travers; C Hyland, A Byrne, S Kelly; M McLoughlin, B McGrath, D Hayden; J Stafford, R Finn; T Hannon, P Dalton, P Earls; A O'Malley, S Furlong, L Glynn.
LONGFORD (SFC v Laois):D Sheridan; D Brady, B Gilleran, D Reilly; S Mulligan, K Diffley, N Farrell; B McElvanney, M Brady; D Barden, P Dowd, P Barden; D McElligott, B Kavanagh, S McCormack.
TIPPERARY (SFC v Kerry):M O'Donnell; A Morrissey, P Codd, C McDonald; C Dillon, L Egan, C Aylward; G Hannigan, B Jones; B Fox, P Austen, H Coghlan; C Sweeney, S Grogan, B Grogan.
CLARE:Joe Hayes; K Hartnett, B Duggan, L Healy; John Hayes, G Kelly (capt.), M McMahon; N Browne, G Brennan; G Kelly, D Tubridy, C O'Connor; R Donnelly, D O'Neill, A Clohessy. Subs: K Ryan, M Tubridy, G Quinlan, S Brennan, J Dowling, S McNeiles, B Harnett, M Foran, D O'Connor, D Blake, C Ryan.
